Slamming the police for "detaining" journalist Iftikhar Gilani yesterday, Press Council Chairman Markanday Katju today asked Union Home Secretary to charge-sheet and suspend the cops if the allegations of "high-handedness" against them were correct.

In a letter to the Home Secretary R K Singh , Justice Katju also sought immediate institution of criminal proceedings against such officers under relevant provisions of IPC and grant of compensation and apology to Gilani for his alleged harassment.

He said the action against the cops should be initiated by the government within 48 hours.

The letter came after Gilani in an email to Katju complained that security agencies had illegally detained him yesterday at the house of his father-in-law Syed Ali Geelani following the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and harassed him for many hours.

Katju used the opportunity to ask police personnel to not carry out such "illegal" orders of their superiors, "otherwise they will be charged for serious crimes, and if found guilty, severely punished".

On Gilani's charges of harassment, Katju said, "They reveal great high handedness and outrageous behaviour by the Delhi policemen concerned in harassing and tormenting Mr Gilani and his family, including his small children. These were the undemocratic and abhorrent methods of the Gestapo during Nazi rule.

The PCI Chairman said, "If these allegations are correct, the concerned police officers... As well as those higher ups who were instrumental in ordering these shameful and odious acts are prime facie guilty of serious crimes."

Katju said the incident was a "clear violation" of the Supreme Court directions.